INDIANAPOLIS — Friday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic:
Butler playing football season this spring
After the Pioneer football League canceled the football season in the fall, the conference has announced schools will play in the spring, including the Division I Football Championship, which will feature 16 teams.
Here is Butler's schedule for the spring season:
- 3/13 vs. Morehead State
- 3/20 at San Diego
- 3/27 at Valparaiso
- 4/3 vs. Dayton
- 4/10 vs. Marist
- 4/17 at Drake
Marion County holiday COVID-19 testing
The Marion County Public Health Department will still be testing for COVID-19 this next week, but not on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 21 through Thursday, Dec. 31, all drive-thru COVID-19 testing offered by MCPHD will take place in the east parking lot of its main location at 3838 N. Rural Street.
Testing will be by appointment only.
Dates and hours are:
- Dec. 21-22 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Dec. 23 9 a.m.-Noon
- Dec. 24-25 CLOSED
- Dec. 28-30 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Dec. 31 9 a.m.-Noon
- Jan. 1 CLOSED
To receive an appointment for testing, click here. Anyone who does not have access to the Internet or needs help completing the online registration should call 317-221-5515 for assistance.
ISDH update
The Indiana State Department of Health reports 6,088 new cases for a total of 453,139 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Indiana is approaching 7,000 deaths as the state reports 84 more deaths from COVID-19.
Community Health Network vaccinations
Community Health Network is now administering the COVID-19 vaccine after receiving its first shipment.
It initially received 1,950 doses and had more than 2,000 caregivers registered to receive the vaccine. Community Health believes it will be able to administer about 500-700 vaccinations per day.
Vaccines are not mandatory for Community caregivers.
Franciscan Health Indianapolis to begin administering vaccine Friday
Franciscan Health Indianapolis will begin administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Dec. 18.
The vaccine clinic operates seven days a week from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
More than 200 people are registered to receive the vaccine on the first day. Franciscan Health Indianapolis said they expect to vaccinate three people every 10 minutes. The people who get vaccinated will receive a second shot 21 days after the initial dose.
Franciscan Health Indianapolis received 975 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday, Dec. 17 and expects to receive about 3,000 doses of the vaccine over the next two weeks.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 17.21 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 310,000 deaths in the United States. Early Friday morning, Johns Hopkins University did not have updated data for recoveries in the U.S. On Monday, that number was approximately 6.3 million.
Worldwide, there have been more than 74.98 million confirmed cases with more than 1.66 million deaths and 42.37 million recoveries.
The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher — perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
Riverview Health, IU Health North Hospital to begin administering vaccine Friday
Frontline workers at IU Health North Hospital, Riverview Health and residents in Hamilton County who belong to the 1A group and have signed up through the state website will get their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Dec. 18.
Riverview Health said they received the standard shipment of 1,000 doses. IU Health North did not disclose the number of doses they received Thursday.
Johnson Memorial Hospital to begin administering vaccine Friday
Johnson Memorial Hospital on the south side will begin administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Dec. 18 to frontline health care workers.
The hospital said they expect additional shipments over the coming weeks and will follow state and local guidelines for distribution.
13News got an exclusive look Thursday at the hospital's procedure on how they'll distribute the vaccine.
Hendricks Regional Hospital to begin administering vaccine Friday
Hendricks Regional Hospital will start administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Dec. 18 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville.
The west side hospital received the vaccine doses Thursday, Dec. 17.
Second vaccine receives backing from key FDA panel
A government advisory panel endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, paving the way for the shot to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow the recommendation for the vaccine from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. The FDA advisers, in a 20-0 vote, agreed the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for those 18 years old and up.
The FDA's green light for emergency use is expected quickly. Moderna would then begin shipping millions of doses, earmarked for health workers and nursing home residents, to boost the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history.
The campaign kicked off earlier this week with the first vaccine OK'd in the U.S., developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Moderna’s shot showed similarly strong protection, providing 94% protection against COVID-19 in the company’s ongoing study of 30,000 people.